Changing Every Day
by YouHadMeAtHelloxo
Summary: Follow the lives of the former Camden kids as they start their own lives with their spouces. This takes place in the future, when the youngest kids, Sam and David, are 17. Please please read and review. Give me a chance....one chapter.
1. Chapter One

A/N: Hey guys-I'm back! I hope that you like my new story. The idea just came to me. PLEASE review!  
  
Back Ground Info: Here's what's going on with everyone:  
I know that some of the ages are unrealistic, but just go with it. Haha.  
  
Matt and Sarah have been married for 6 years and have one child, a daughter, Ella, who is 3 years old.  
  
Mary is living in New York, currently single.  
  
Lucy and Kevin have been married for 3 years. They have one child, Maggie, who just turned one.  
  
Simon is away at college, currently single.  
  
Ruthie and John have been married for one year. They have no children.  
  
Sam and David are 17 years old and live with their mom and dad at home.  
  
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Sarah looked down at the long, thin plastic item in her hand and let out a surprised yell. Three-year-old Ella toddled into the room and hurried to her mother.  
  
"Mamma? Are you okay?" She asked urgently. Sarah looked down at her daughter. Smiling, she placed the plastic in her pocket and picked up her daughter.  
  
"Yes, baby, I'm fine." She said, kissing the girl on the head. "What are you and daddy up to?" She asked.  
  
"We're playin' hide and seek!" Ella said excitedly.  
  
"Oh, then hurry and hide, silly!" She said. Ella laughed.  
  
"No, mamma. Daddy hides now, not Ella."  
  
"And how long has daddy been hiding?" Sarah asked.  
  
"Mmmm-long time." She answered. "I decided I didn't wanna play any more so I played with my dollies and then I came to see if you was OK." Sarah laughed.  
  
"Does daddy know that you don't want to play any more?" She asked.  
  
"Nope!" Was the answer she received from her little girl. She put Ella down and stepped into the family room.  
  
"Matt? Come here please!" She called. She laughed as she saw her husband slowly emerge from behind a chair. Ella laughed and walked over to her father.  
  
"Daddy, I don't wanna play any more." She said.  
  
"Oh. Thanks for telling me so soon!" He said jokingly. Ella giggled and held her arms up for her father to lift her up. He picked her up and spun her around.  
  
A smile spread across Sarah's face as she watched her husband and son together. Matt saw her and sat their daughter down. He walked over to his wife and put his arms around her.  
  
"Honey, we need to talk." She said to him.  
  
"OK, go ahead." Matt said, backing up and sitting down. He motioned for her to sit next to him.  
  
"No. We need to talk-alone." She said, tipping her head toward the three-year-old standing just feet away. "Hold on. Let me call my mom." Sarah walked over to the phone and picked it up.  
  
"Hey mom, it's Sarah---I was wondering if maybe Ella could come over and hang out with you guys for a few hours---oh, yeah, everything's fine. Matt and I just need to have a bit of time to talk----thank you so much--- oh mom, you don't have to do that---ok---ok---see you in a minute." She turned back to her husband and daughter.  
  
"Ella, Grandma Rosina is going to come over and pick you up, so go and get ready, OK sweetie?"  
  
"Where are we goin?" Ella asked.  
  
"You're going to go get some dinner then play back at grandma and grandpa's house."  
  
"Yay!" Ella cried happily and ran to her room. She emerged a few minutes later with her new sandals on her feet.  
  
"Ready!" She said happily. Two minutes later, the door bell rang. Sarah went over and opened the door, greeting Rosina with a warm hug.  
  
"Mom, thank you so much. We really appreciate this."  
  
"Oh, no problem!" She said. She leaned towards her daughter. "Want me to keep her over night so you two can have a bit of quality time?" She asked, raising her eyebrows. Sarah laughed.  
  
"No, mom, we're fine." She said with a smile. Ella ran over and hugged her grandmother.  
  
"Can we go to McDonald's?" She asked her excitedly.  
  
"Wherever you want, dolly." She said. Sarah leaned down to kiss her daughter good bye, and Rosina and Ella were off.  
  
When the door was closed, Sarah turned around to face Matt. He smiled at her.  
  
"What's going on?" He asked, taking her hand and leading her to the sofa, where they sat down.  
  
"Matt-." She began. Before continuing, she leaned in for a kiss, which Matt gave her happily. "Matt, um, how do I say this. OK. I'm-we're- going to have a baby. I'm pregnant!" Matt jumped up.  
  
"This is awesome!" He cried. Sarah laughed. Matt took his wife's hand and stood her up, sliding his arms down her slender sides. He kissed her again.  
  
"So you're happy?" She asked.  
  
"Ecstatic." He answered. Sarah smiled largely.  
  
"I love you." She said.  
  
"I love you." Matt answered. He leaned down to Sarah's stomach. "And I love you too." He said. Giggling, Sarah pulled him up and they kissed again.  
  
"Let's celebrate." Matt said. "Dinner, my treat."  
  
"Sounds good to me!" Sarah said. She grabbed her purse, and with that, they left, both smiling, Sarah glowing a bit more than usual.  
  
A/N: So what do you think? I will be introducing the other families/characters in the coming chapters, but first I want to know if I should continue. Review please please! Even if it's only one sentence long, please take less than a minute of your time to give me a bit of feed back. Thanks! 


	2. Chapter Two

A/N: Hey! Thanks soo much for reviewing. Sorry that some of you don't like the ages/number of years married. Like I said, this is just my info I made up. I know it's a little off, but I know what I'm going to do with them, and it works at those ages. LoL. Hope you like this chapter, and please review! Review after every chapter if you want-I never get tired of hearing from you! A/N cont: One more thing-sorry if this chapter, about half way through, starts sounding weird: When I was about half way done typing, we got news that a family member passed away. I'll keep typing these up, but don't be too hard on me!  
  
"I love Saturdays." Lucy Kinkirk said happily and she plopped down next to her husband, Kevin, on the sofa. He smiled at her.  
  
"I do too." He said, kissing her on the cheek.  
  
"It's great. Normally it's just Maggie and I at home alone. It's good that we get to spend time with you over the weekend. Sunday, I'm up preaching at the church a lot, then all week you're up at the station. Saturdays are good--calm." She turned he body and layed across Kevin's lap. He stroked her hair softly.  
  
"Yeah. Is Maggie taking her nap?" He asked of their just-turned-one year old.  
  
"She's out. She was tired after playing all day long." Lucy answered. "She'll be getting up soon though."  
  
"It'll be fun once she can talk." Kevin said.  
  
"She CAN talk!" Lucy said defensively of her baby.  
  
"She can say like two words, Luce."  
  
"Hey, that's talking." She said with a laugh. "She'll be talking soon enough. Ella was talking at one and a half. Just six months left." Kevin smiled and kissed Lucy again on the cheek.  
  
As if on a timer, the cry of a baby rang out throughout the one-story house. Lucy smiled and got up.  
  
"Like clock-work." She said. She walked down the hall to her daughter's room. When she walked in the door, Maggie was standing up in her crib, holding onto the bars. She smiled when she saw her mother.  
"Hey Maggie-poo!" She said and picked up the little girl. Maggie laughed as her mother picked her up and danced with her out of the room.  
  
a/n: this is where it might start getting odd, this is where we got the news of the passing.  
  
As soon as Maggie saw her father, she began to wiggle to get down. When Lucy set her down, the little girl carefully toddled over to her dad, falling twice in the process. A wide smile spread across her little face when she reached her father and he held his arms out to her, lifting her on to his lap.  
  
"How did you sleep, my dear?" He asked her. He smiled. "Oh that's good. I'm glad that you slept well. Have any dreams? Oh! A giant snail was chasing you? I'm sorry." Lucy laughed at her husband's fake conversation with their daughter.  
  
"Kev? It's a nice day. Do you want to go with me to take the baby up to the park for a bit?" She asked.  
  
"That sounds like fun." Kevin told her.  
  
"I'll get the stroller." Lucy said. She came back a moment later pushing Maggie's stroller. They buckled her in, and were off to the park. 


	3. Chapter Three

A/N: Hey everyone ~ Thanks for all of your reviews and compliments! I hope that you continue to enjoy this. Just in case you haven't noticed, I'm doing chapters moving down the list of people living in town ex: First it was Matt and Sarah, Mary's in NY so we went next to Lucy and Kevin. Simon's at college, so now here's Ruthie and her husband, John. REVIEW!  
  
25 year old Ruthie Parke, formally Ruthie Camden, sat at her desk at work. Glancing at the clock, she sighed. Still 45 minutes left until she could leave. She loved her job as a columnist for the local paper, but she couldn't help wanting to get home to her husband, John. John worked as a policeman with Ruthie's sister, Lucy's husband. Ruthie looked up at her computer screen.  
  
'Women's safety is 2004: The do's and don'ts to being safe.'  
By Ruthie Parke  
  
She was having some serious writers block, and sitting here, in this little cubicle definitely wasn't helping. She sighed and put her fingers on the keyboard. Just 45 minutes left.  
  
Once she got started, time flew by, and soon Ruthie's article was done and it was time to go home. Happily, she shut her computer off, cleaned her desk up a bit, grabbed her purse, and stood up. She slung her purse over her shoulder and walked out of the building.  
  
She walked down the street one block to the apartment complex that she lived in. She turned in and made her way up the stairs. When she reached apartment D253, she put her key in the lock and turned. Slowly, she walked in.  
  
"John?" She called. "John?"  
  
"In the bedroom!" Called a masculine voice. Ruthie smiled and walked into her room. When she entered, she saw her husband sitting at the desk working on his laptop.  
  
"Hey sweetie." He said, standing and walking over to his wife. He hugged her warmly. "How was your day?"  
  
"Boring." Ruthie told him with a laugh. "I was having trouble getting started on one of my articles. Other than that it was OK though."  
  
"I'm glad." John said, kissing Ruthie shortly on the lips before walking back over to the desk and sitting down. Ruthie sat on the bed behind him.  
  
"How was your day?" She asked.  
  
"Pretty good. Hey guess what?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Kevin and I were talking today. He said that Matt called them last night." He told her.  
  
"And said what?" Ruthie asked.  
  
"Well," He began. "Sarah's pregnant again!"  
  
"How awesome!" Ruthie said, jumping up. "I'm going to call her right now." Ruthie disappeared from the room for a minute, then came back with a disappointed look on her face.  
  
"She's at the doctors. First baby check up." She told her husband.  
  
"Oh well. Call her later. She'll know more then anyway."  
  
"Good point." Ruthie said. "I'm going to go start dinner. What do you want?"  
  
"Anything is fine." John answered.  
  
"Spaghetti it is!" Ruthie said with a smile.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"No problem. Work hard!" She said. She kissed her husband on the top of the head, and walked into the kitchen. Looks like this day wasn't going to turn out so bad after all. 


	4. Chapter Four

A/N: Thanks for your reviews! I got them all during school today (I checked my e-mail on a friend's cell) and was all happy for the rest of the day lol. I'm easily excited, and any of my friends can attest to that. AANNYYWWAAYY, now we've covered all the couples so we'll go back around to Matt and Sarah! Enjoy and review!  
  
"Matt?" Sarah asked sweetly as she entered the kitchen were her husband was sitting at the table.  
  
"Yes?" He asked. Sarah pulled out a chair and sat down next to him.  
  
"Can we have everyone over for dinner tonight?"  
  
"Hmm. First of all, why? And secondly, define "everyone"." Sarah laughed softly.  
  
"Number one: Because I want to tell everyone the news. Well, everyone who doesn't already know. And everyone is The Kinkirks, Ruthie and John, my mom and dad, your mom and dad, and Sam and David."  
  
"Depends who's cooking." Matt said jokingly. "And what news."  
  
"That I'm having a baby, silly!"  
  
"Oh. THAT news." He laughed. "Sure. I don't have anything going on tonight. That would be fun. When would they come over?"  
  
"After church." She answered. "We get out of church at 5:45, so I could say to be here at 6:00."  
  
"Sounds good." Matt answered. "What are you gonna make?"  
  
"Well, I'll make a PB&J for Ella, and for everyone else-lasagna?"  
  
"Yum. Sounds great. What about Maggie?" He asked.  
  
"Good question." Sarah answered. "I'll have Luce and Kevin bring her something. They ARE her parents after all. They'll know."  
  
"Good thinking." Matt answered. "You better start calling people. It's already 3:00. Lucy'll be leaving for the church soon to finish preparing her sermon."  
  
"Yeah, you're right. Oh, Matt?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Who knows? About the baby I mean."  
  
"I told Kevin, so he and Luce know."  
  
"And Kevin told John. That's how Ruthie knew." She added.  
  
"Yep. No one else though."  
  
"OK." Sarah said and stood up. She walked over the phone and picked it up, starting her round of calling.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
That night, Sarah stayed home preparing for the company while Matt and Ella went to church. He dropped Ella off in her nursery class before he went to the service.  
  
Soon, they were home. There was a flurry of last minute activity before everyone began to arrive. Everyone was coming, so that was eleven people, plus, David was bring his girlfriend. Twelve people all together.  
  
The dining room table was barely set when the doorbell rang. Sarah ran to answer it. When she opened the door, Kevin and Lucy were outside. Maggie was in her stroller being pushed by her mother.  
  
"Hey guys! Just the people I was hoping for. Could I ask you a little favor?"  
  
"Sure, what?" Kevin asked.  
  
"Could you guys not say anything about the baby to anybody tonight? You and Ruthie and John are the only people who know."  
  
"Oh, sure. No problem."  
  
"Thanks." Sarah said. She opened the door wider so her guests could come in. She smiled and leaned over, kissing her little niece on the head. Moments later, Ella came racing out of her room.  
  
"Aunt Lucy! Uncle Kevin! Aunt Lucy! Uncle Kevin!" She shouted excitedly.  
  
"Shh!" Sarah shushed her little girl. Ella blushed.  
  
"Hi baby Maggie." She whispered. "Hey Aunt Lucy?"  
  
"Yes, my dear?" She asked with a smile.  
  
"Can baby Maggie walk yet?"  
  
"Just a little. She's not quite sure how to stay standing for a long time yet though."  
  
"Oh. When will she learn?"  
  
"Pretty soon. Before you know it, she'll be running after you down the halls." Ella smiled.  
  
"Yay! Like this?" She asked before taking off around the room making air plane sound effects.  
  
"Yep! Just like that."  
  
"Goody." She said sweetly. Sarah leaned down to her daughter.  
  
"Sweet heart, why don't you go get some of you baby dolls to show Maggie."  
  
"Ok!" Ella said excitedly. She took off towards her room. Lucy smiled at her sister-in-law.  
  
"You have such a sweet little girl." She said. Sarah smiled.  
  
"Thanks. She a hand full, that's for sure. But she's definitely a sweet heart." Lucy bent over and pulled a bag out of the back of her stroller. She pulled out her fold up baby walker and set it up quickly. By the time that Ella came back with her dolls, Maggie was sitting happily in her walker. Lucy folded up the stroller and placed it by the door. Lucy and Sarah smiled as Ella walked over to the sofa, layed her dolls down, then came back and pulled Maggie's walker over. She sat down on the sofa and handed one doll to her baby cousin.  
  
"This is Angel." She told her. Then she took another doll in her own arms.  
  
"And this is Jenny. They're twins." She said. Maggie smiled widely as she looked down at the doll her cousin had handed her.  
  
Kevin walked into the other room to visit with Matt while the women chatted in the room with the kids. Soon, Ruthie and John arrived. Sarah told them the same "no telling about the baby" rule and they agreed happily.  
  
After not too long, everyone had arrived and Sarah led them into the dining room. She pulled out two high chairs: Ella's, and an extra one for Maggie. Once the kids were in their seats, the group said grace, and Sarah got all the food. After the meal was about half way through, Sarah and Matt stood up.  
  
"Excuse us everyone! We have an announcement to make!" Sarah said. The conversation stopped and everyone looked at the couple in anticipation.  
  
"What is it sweetie?" Rosina asked nervously.  
  
"What's going on?" Echoed Eric. Sarah laughed.  
  
"Well-."She began, glancing at her husband nervously.  
  
"We're--."Matt tried to help, but then looked back at his wife.  
  
"I'm-um-I'm pregnant." She said.  
  
"Congratulations!!" Cried Rosina and Annie in unison. They both got out of their chairs and ran over to hug the couple. Eric and Rabbi Glass exchanged smiles, and everyone else applauded politely. Matt and Sarah sat back down.  
  
"So!" Sarah began. "I had my first appointment yesterday." She said.  
  
"What did you find out?" Asked Ruthie and Annie. Sarah laughed.  
  
"Well, I'm due in July. July 3rd." She said.  
  
"And it's February." Rosina said. " So that would make you-." She paused.  
  
"Four months along." Sarah answered.  
  
"Four months along! Wow!" Annie said.  
  
"How do you not notice that for four months?" Ruthie asked.  
  
"Well, I'm kept pretty busy mothering a three year old." She said, looking at her little girl. She giggled and waved at her mother. Sarah returned the wave.  
  
"When will you find out the gender?" Rabbi Glass asked.  
  
"About a month. A little less, actually." She answered. Everyone smiled.  
  
"Are you excited, then?" Sarah asked.  
  
"Yes!" Was heard from the people at the table. Sarah smiled.  
  
"Good." She glanced over at Matt. He smiled and squeezed her hand.  
  
"Oh kiss her already!" Ruthie cried with a laugh. Matt smiled and leaned into his wife for a kiss, which she returned happily. Everyone at the table applauded with laughs. Matt and Sarah smiled and looked back at their guests.  
  
They finished dinner up. Afterward, everyone got to chat for awhile. Lucy and Kevin were the first to leave, as it was getting late to little Maggie to be up. Everyone soon followed, first hugging the mommy and daddy to be.  
  
After everyone was gone, Matt tucked Ella in as Sarah put the dishes in the dishwasher. When they were done, they layed on the sofa together and watched a movie. Sarah rolled over to face her husband.  
  
"I love you." She said.  
  
"I love you too." He said, kissing his wife tenderly. He placed his hand on her stomach.  
  
"A family of four."  
  
"Four." Sarah echoed. They kissed again. Sarah rolled back over and faced the tv screen again. Matt held her in his arms, and slowly, they drifted off to sleep. 


	5. Chapter Five

A/N: Hey! Thanks for all the reviews. I do have one thing to say, though-if you don't like this story, then please, by all means, send A bad review. I have no problem with that and it's good to have feed back. Please DON'T, however, send numerous horrible reviews for each chapter. It clutters my e- mail box and degrades my confidence. Also, if you send a bad review, I'd appreciate it if you could tell me what you didn't like, so I can change it. Thank you. Anyway, here's chapter 5.  
  
Lucy Kinkirk smiled as her daughter pulled herself up using to sofa she wobbled as she held on to it for dear life. Kevin laughed.  
  
"Should we help her?" He asked. Lucy shook her head.  
  
"Nah. Baby's love this stuff." She said. They looked up just in time to see Maggie drop her hands to her sides. To their amazement, she didn't fall. A huge smile spread across her face before she tumbled to the ground. Again, she stood, using the sofa. She turned toward her mom and dad and put her hands down again, this time taking one step toward them before falling down. With determination, she got up again. She held her arms out to her parents and took one step-then two-three-and four. She fell down in a fit of giggles. Lucy and Kevin smiled widely at one another.  
  
"Her first steps!" Lucy cried. "Quick! Go get the video camera. Maybe she'll do it again!" Kevin got up and ran to the kitchen. He grabbed the camera and ran back to his wife. He switched the camera on and pointed at their one-year-old daughter. She looked at the camera with dancing blue eyes and all she did was laugh. She smiled and reached for the camera, crawling over and putting her face close against the lens. Lucy laughed and picked the baby up, carrying her back over to the sofa.  
  
"Maggs, stand up!" She said. Maggie just looked at her. Lucy lifted the baby's arms to the side of the sofa. When she let go, Maggie stood for a moment and fell. She crawled over to her mother again. Kevin sighed and shut of the video camera.  
  
"Guess she's tired." He said. Lucy smiled and kissed him on the cheek.  
  
"Maybe so. Let's call Matt and Sarah and see if they want to meet up at the park. The girls could play and we'll have time to chat." Lucy suggested.  
  
"Well, you can, but I need to get some stuff done in my office today. Why don't you just see if Sarah and Ella want to go with out Matt?"  
  
"Are you sure?" Lucy asked. Kevin smiled at her.  
  
"Positive. I need the time alone to work anyway. Have fun." He said. Lucy smiled and grabbed the phone. Ten minutes later, she had Maggie in her stroller and she left the house.  
  
She pushed the stroller down the street to the park. When she got there, she saw Sarah lying on a blanket in the grass. She pushed the stroller over and sat down next to Sarah on the blanket. Lucy lifted Maggie out of her stroller and held her in her lap.  
  
"Where's Ella?" She asked her sister-in-law.  
  
"Over there on the swings." She answered. "Ella! Come here sweetie!" She called. Ella looked up and ran over to where her mother was sitting.  
  
"What?" She asked abruptly.  
  
"Aunt Lucy and Maggie are here." She said.  
  
"I can see that." Snapped Ella.  
  
"Hey! Watch the attitude, Missy!" Sarah told her daughter.  
  
"Well I was on the swings and I had just gotten high enough and now you made me come over just to tell me bout a dumb baby!" She said angrily.  
  
"Eleanor Marie Camden!" Sarah said, taken aback by her daughter's rudeness. "Maggie is your cousin, and most certainly not a dumb baby! You apologize right now."  
  
"Sorry." She said shortly Maggie. Sarah looked at the little girl trying to keep her anger down.  
  
"Would you please take Maggie to play with you?" She asked.  
  
"Mom!" Ella said with exasperation.  
  
"Ella! You're being exceptionally rude! You'll do what you're told." Sarah said, raising her voice.  
  
"Fine." She huffed. Common, Maggie." She said, picking the baby up around the waist and carrying her to the sand. She put her down and Ella crawled happily behind her cousin as she walked back to the swings. Sarah turned towards Lucy with an apologetic look on her face.  
  
"I'm sorry." She told her. "She didn't really mean to call Maggie stupid." Lucy shook her head.  
  
"Don't worry about it." She said. "I know she didn't mean it."  
  
"She's been so moody since we told her about the baby." She said, putting her hand over her barely swollen stomach. "We thought that she'd be excited, but she just got mad when she realized she'd have to share our attention."  
  
"Oh." Lucy said, surprised. "I know that when Mary was first born Matt got really moody for awhile, but I've never heard of being mad at the pregnancy! Ella's an individual, I'll give her that. When did you tell her?"  
  
"She found out last weekend after you all left. I don't think she got it when we made the announcement at dinner, so Matt and I explained it in easier terms."  
  
"Meaning--."  
  
"We just told her that God decided that it was time for Mommy and Daddy to get another baby so he put one in Mommy's stomach. We told her that we still loved her just as much, and that now she would just have a brother or sister, and she seemed excited. All day today though, she's been so odd."  
  
"Hmm." Lucy said. "It'll probably pass. She's most likely just confused."  
  
"Yeah. That's what Matt said." Sarah answered.  
  
"But what about you?" Lucy asked, changing the subject. "How are you feeling?"  
  
"Oh, pretty good. No morning sickness, which is nice. I'm almost at five months now. One more week." She said with a smile.  
  
"Ooo! You'll be finding out the gender then, won't you?"  
  
"Oh yeah." Sarah said. They laughed. Lucy was about to speak when a loud yell coming from the playground took their attention.  
  
"STOP IT!" Ella screamed and walked quickly to the blue climber. Maggie crawled after her as fast as she could, not understanding her cousin's anger. When she reached her, Ella leaned down at hit Maggie so hard that she fell down on the ground. "Leave me alone!" She screamed, hitting her again. Maggie lay in the sand screaming, too scared to move.  
  
"Maggie!" Lucy cried, jumping off the blanket and running to her baby. She scooped the screaming baby into her arms and held her close. Sarah closely followed Lucy's footsteps, but she ran for Ella. She grabbed the little girl sharply by the wrist and pulled her down.  
  
"Let go of me!" She cried. When her mother didn't let go, she slapped her across the face.  
  
"Eleanor Marie Camden!" Sarah cried in utter horror at the fit that her daughter was throwing. "You will NOT hit anyone. Not me, not your baby cousin, not anyone!" She yelled. She pulled her daughter off of the playground and back to their blanket, never letting her tight hold on the girls wrist loosen. Lucy was already back at the blanket holding her baby Maggie tight in her arms when the two arrived. Once they were on the blanket, Sarah turned towards her daughter and kneeled. She grabbed the girls chin angrily.  
  
"What do you think that you were doing?" She yelled.  
  
"The stupid dumb baby wouldn't leave me alone so I had to make her go away!"  
  
"By hitting her? That's not the way that you make anyone go away, young lady!" Sarah said.  
  
"So what will you do about it?" Ella said with rudeness well beyond her years. "You can't do anything."  
  
"Oh I most certainly can!" Sarah cried. She turned to her sister in law.  
  
"Lucy, would you be so kind as to take that blanket" She began, pointing to the extra blanket sitting in the back of Ella's stroller, "and hold it up so that it blocks us from the rest of the people in the park?" She asked. Lucy nodded, placed her daughter in her stroller and walked around to Ella's stroller. She got the blanket, unfolded it, and held it up.  
  
"Thank you." Sarah said sweetly. She turned back to her daughter. "Do you want to test me?" She whispered intensely to her daughter. "I WILL spank you right here in the park if I have to." She said.  
  
At this, Ella burst into tears. Sarah's anger turned to concern. She stood her little girl up and pulled her pants back up. Ella threw her arms around her mother's neck, sobbing on her shoulder. Lucy quietly put the blanket back in the stroller and went back to her part of the blanket.  
  
"Why do you want a new baby? Don't you love me?" She sobbed at her mother. Sarah suddenly understood and she hugged her daughter back.  
  
"Ella, we still love you just as much as we always have! Daddy and I just want to ADD to our family by giving you a new brother or sister. We're not replacing you at all!" She said.  
  
"Promise?" She asked, her tears stopping.  
  
"I promise!" Sarah said with a smile. "I love you, Ella!" She said.  
  
"I love you mommy." Ella said.  
  
"Now I think you need to go and have a chat with your Aunt Lucy and Maggie. Ella blushed as she walked to her cousin's stroller. The baby giggled as Ella kissed her on the cheek.  
  
"Sorry that I hurt you, Maggie." She said. She turned to Lucy.  
  
"Sorry." She said. Lucy hugged the little girl.  
  
"It's OK. Just please don't do that again. Maggie has feelings just like you. She likes you a lot, so she likes to be with you. Hitting her isn't the way to ask her to leave you alone. If you want her to leave you alone, come tell me or your mom." She said. Ella nodded.  
  
"OK. Sorry." She said. She walked back over to her mom and sat in her lap. "Let's go play now."  
  
"Mm, I don't think so. You've played enough today." She said.  
  
"But!" Sarah gave her daughter a look. "Ok." She said. Lucy smiled at the two, and looked at her own daughter who was watching her Aunt and cousin with great interest. Maybe Kevin was right. 6 months was plenty of time to wait for Maggie to talk. Plenty of time.  
  
A/N: I know this was a little long, sorry if you found it TOO long. I wanted to show that Ella was gaining an understanding of why her mom and dad were having a baby. 


	6. Chapter Six

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews!! I'm glad that you liked that last chapter! Please review after this chapter too!  
  
Ruthie Parke paced nervously around her apartment. Her husband was due home any second.  
  
"I can't do this." She said quietly to her self. "I can't I really-- ." Her thoughts were cut off by the sound of the front door opening. "He's home."  
  
John came around the corner and hugged his wife.  
  
"Hey what's going on? You never call me to find out when I'm coming home unless something's going on." He said. Ruthie smiled. He knew her all too well.  
  
"John, we need to have a little chat." She said quietly. He laughed.  
  
"OK." He said, taking his wife by the hand and leading her to the sofa. They sat down facing each other.  
  
"What's up?" He asked her. Ruthie looked down at the ground.  
  
"Well. I-um-John? You see, I just, um." She studdered.  
  
"Spit it out." John said with a laugh.  
"I want a baby." She said. John's eyes grew large and he scooted back in his seat.  
  
"A-a baby? Is that so?" He asked. Ruthie nodded.  
  
"I knew you'd say that eventually. Sarah and Matt have Ella and Lucy and Kevin have Maggie."  
  
"And Sarah's pregnant. . .and now it's my turn. Well, our turn." Ruthie added.  
  
"OK." John said.  
  
"What?" Ruthie asked.  
  
"OK. We can try." He said. She couldn't believe her ears. Was this John she was talking to? She never thought that he'd say yes. Despite herself, she felt a smile spread across her face.  
  
"OK." She said. "OK." She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.  
  
"I knew you were a keeper." She said. They laughed.  
  
"Yeah, that's me. A keeper." He joked. They kissed again. Ruthie stood up.  
  
"I've gotta call Sarah." She said excitedly.  
  
"OK." John said, laughing at how happy Ruthie was. He sat on the sofa while Ruthie got up and walked into the next room. He heard her pick up the phone and dial.  
  
"Sarah? It's Ruthie-Guess what. . ." 


	7. Chapter Seven

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. Thought that I should let you all know though- when Ruthie was on the phone with Sarah, she was just telling her about how she and John were going to try for a baby. No surprises!  
  
Three weeks past. Sarah had her doctor's appointment, and to her delight, the baby was happy, healthy, and they found out that it was a girl. Ella got much more excited now that she knew that she was going to have a sister. Sarah and Matt decided on a name, and were going to call their parents to have them over for dinner, wanting to tell them the news, but Annie called them first.  
  
"Hey Sarah!" She said sweetly. Sarah smiled at the voice of her mother-in-law.  
  
"Hey Annie. What's up?" She asked.  
  
"Well, I was calling to invite you and Matt to dinner tonight. Mary just called, and she's coming into town. She says she wants to talk with the whole family."  
  
"Hmm. Sounds interesting." Sarah said. "You didn't mention Ella. Should she not come?"  
  
"No, sorry. Mary said she wanted 'an adult evening of conversation.' No kids allowed. Only our kids and their spouses are coming. No kids, and no girlfriends for Sam and David. Sorry if that's an inconvenience." Annie said apologetically.  
  
"Oh, it's no biggie." Sarah said. "Kind of short notice to get a baby sitter though. Can I call you back after I try to get one?" She asked.  
  
"Oh sure." Annie said.  
  
"Bye." They both said. Sarah sighed and grabbed her baby sitter list. After getting a girl to come and watch Ella that evening. She called Annie back and told her.  
  
That night, the baby sitter showed up and Matt and Sarah left. They arrived at the Camden's house minutes later. When they got inside, everyone was already there. . .except for Mary. Annie rushed about, finishing the dinner. They finally sat down to eat. There was still no sign of Mary.  
  
After they were about half way done, the door opened and Mary walked in. Annie immediately jumped up and ran over to her, showering her with affection. She got her daughter a plate and she sat down at the table. Everyone looked at her in anticipation.  
  
"Hey everyone. Thanks for coming. Sorry that I'm late." She said nervously. "I wanted to tell you guys some news. It's pretty exciting actually." She said, stumbling through her words. "OK. Um. . . I live in New York, like I have for awhile." She said.  
  
"Go on, Mare!" Matt prompted. Sarah shushed him with a smile.  
  
"Ok. Guys, I'm engaged." She said.  
  
"To who?!" Was the resounding answer from around the table.  
  
"Well, um, you all remember. . .Robbie Palmer." She said.  
  
"OH MY GOSH." Was whispered all over the room.  
  
"Oh. How. . .great. How long how you been engaged?" Annie asked.  
  
"Um. Don't freak out mom or dad or anyone for that matter, but um, we've been engaged for only ah, 10 months. We're getting married next week and I was too scared to tell you. I'm sorry." She said honestly.  
  
"Mary I need to speak to you in the next room." Annie said shakily. "Now." Mary nodded and stood up, following her mother out of the room. Immediately, Eric followed. When they were gone, the room exploded into conversation. Lucy turned to Kevin.  
  
"That's so like Mary!" She exclaimed, infuriated. "She goes away gets engaged WITH OUT TELLING US FOR 10 MONTHS!" She cried. "We're leaving." She said, standing and starting to walk. Kevin grabbed her arm and sat her back down.  
  
"She's your sister, Lucy. It took a lot of courage to tell us this." He said.  
  
"Fine." Lucy said with pout in her voice. Minutes later, Annie, Eric, and Mary stepped back into the room. Lucy scoffed and was shushed by her husband immediately. Mary look over at her little sister.  
  
"Luce, come here." She said. Lucy hesitated, but Kevin pushed her. She stood and followed her sister out of the room. When they got into the kitchen, they turned to face one another.  
  
"How could you?" Lucy exploded at her sister. "I always looked up to you when we were kids. And you let me down. You let me down when you were a stupid high school senior who ruined her school gym, and you let me down tonight." Mary took her sister into her arms, catching Lucy off guard.  
  
"I'm sorry." She told her. "Lucy, I'm sorry." She said, backing away from Lucy. "I know that it was stupid not to tell you guys sooner, but I knew that you guys weren't too fond of Robbie. Imagine telling mom and dad about being engaged to Kevin knowing that they hated him? She asked. Lucy looked thoughtfully up at her sister. "I know that's no excuse, but at least I told you now and not next week after we're married." Lucy nodded. Suddenly, Lucy leaned forward and hugged Mary. Mary smiled and hugged her back. "It's OK. I'm sorry I overreacted." Lucy said.  
  
"It's OK." Mary said. They walked back out into the dining room together both smiling. Kevin smiled back at his wife, glad that the fight was over.  
  
The rest of the evening was filled with questions for Mary, who informed them that Robbie would be coming into town the following day. Mary was fascinated with the growing size of Sarah's stomach. She continued to insist that it was only her five-month-bump, but Mary still loved it, as did Annie, Lucy and Ruthie.  
  
Everyone finally went home and Mary slept at Annie and Eric's house. That night, everyone slept well after being so surprised from Mary's news.  
  
A/N: I know this was weird. Wanted to tell Mary's news and express how Lucy had always looked up to Mary and still did. 


	8. Chapter Eight

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. Hey, I need some ideas for what to have happen with the Kinkirks. Let me know if you think of anything. E-mail with your ideas at RoxieHart813@netscape.com , subject: Story idea. Thanks!  
  
"Hello?" Lucy Kinkirk asked into the receiver of her phone.  
  
"Hey Luce. It's Sarah." Said a warm voice.  
  
"Hey, what's up?"  
  
"Do you wanna meet me at the park? Matt and I decided on the baby's name. I want to tell you! The girls could play while we chat."  
  
"Sounds great. You haven't even told me the gender yet. I'm excited!"  
  
"Oh, I thought I did." She laughed. "You'll find out in a few minutes."  
  
"OK." Lucy said. "See ya."  
  
"Bye." Said Sarah. They hung up the phone. Lucy got Maggie dressed, grabbed her diaper bag, put her in her stroller, and they were off. Soon, they arrived at the park where they saw Sarah and Ella just setting up their blanket. The women smiled and waved to one another when they got eye contact, and Ella ran over to say hello.  
  
When Lucy and Maggie got to the blanket, Lucy took the baby out and sat her down. Immediately, she stood and carefully followed her cousin to the playground. Lucy looked over at her round sister-in-law.  
  
"So? How far along are you now?" She asked.  
  
"Eight months." Sarah said proudly. "It's May 28th, and I'm due on the 3rd of July.  
  
"How exciting!" Lucy said. "Girl, boy? Spill." Sarah smiled.  
  
"Come July, we'll have TWO daughters!" She said.  
  
"Oh! A little baby girl!" Lucy said, hugging Sarah. "What's her name going to be?"  
  
"Kathryn Layne. She'll go by Kate." Sarah said with a wide smile on her face.  
  
"Kathryn Lane Camden. Kate Camden. That's so cute!" Lucy said and hugged Sarah again.  
  
"Yeah, we thought so. Her name means Pure Path. I like that."  
  
"Me too." The women smiled and looked over at their daughters on the playground. Ella was pushing Maggie on the tire swing very carefully. The little girl was giggling as she flew back and forth.  
  
"They're so cute together."  
  
"Yeah. They just love to" She gasped. "Oh my gosh." She whispered.  
  
"What?" Lucy asked. As she turned around to look at her sister-in-law, she gasped too. There was a puddle growing under Sarah and water was trickling down her legs. In horror, Sarah spoke.  
  
"My water just broke." 


	9. Chapter Nine

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. I'm updating soon cause of the cliffhanger. I'm not THAT mean!  
  
Ruthie Parke's timer dinged and she spun around to face her sink. She reached into the little cardboard box and pulled out a plastic strip. John walked in behind her and slid his arms around her waist.  
  
"So?" He asked. Ruthie sighed.  
  
"I'm not pregnant." She said quietly. John kissed her on top of the head.  
  
"It'll happen. Don't worry." He said to her.  
  
"But what if it doesn't happen, John?" She asked.  
  
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. IF we come to it." He said. They were interrupted by the phone ringing. John went to answer it.  
  
"Hello?" He asked. "Yeah, here she is." He said, handing the phone to his wife.  
  
"Hello?" She asked. "Hey what's. . . oh my gosh! Yeah I'll be right there. . .which park?. . . Ok, I'm on my way." She hung the phone up and turned to her husband in a panic.  
  
"That was Lucy. Sarah's in labor. They're at the park by their houses. Neither of them have their cars and Lucy doesn't want to leave Sarah alone to get the car. Come on, we have to go get them to the hospital!" She cried.  
  
"You go. I'll stay here. Just in case something happens and it's too late to get to the hospital, I don't want to be in the way."  
  
"OK. Thanks." Ruthie said. She ran out the door and got into the car. Twenty minutes later, she pulled into the parking lot. She jumped out of her car and ran to where she saw Lucy and Sarah. Sarah was lying down flat on a blanket with Lucy sat by her, holding her hand. Little Maggie slept peacefully in her stroller as Ella still played on the playground. Ruthie ran to her sister and sister-in-law.  
  
"Thank God." Lucy said. Sarah just nodded while grabbing her round stomach with a grimace.  
  
"Help me." Sarah said breathlessly. Ruthie nodded. Lucy ran to get Ella while Ruthie kneeled by Sarah.  
  
"How long have you been in labor?" She asked.  
  
"A few hours. We were going to walk home then go to the hospital, but then when I went to stand up, I couldn't move. That's about as far as I got. I can't get through to Matt cause, interestingly enough, he's delivering a baby. Then we called you." She said. Lucy hurried back with Ella.  
  
"How are we going to do this? I can't lift Sarah, push Maggie's stroller, and watch Ella all at once! And you can't carry her alone."  
  
"You're right. Oh my gosh. What are we going to do?" Sarah moaned, and neither Ruthie nor Lucy knew if it was out of frustration or labor pain.  
  
"I'm calling 9-1-1." Lucy said immediately. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed. Minutes later, she hung up.  
  
"They're on their way." She said. Ten minutes later, an ambulance sped into the parking lot. People jumped out and grabbed a stretcher. They all ran, pushing the stretcher to Sarah. They lifted her and placed her on a stretcher. They got her in the ambulance, and sped away. Lucy and Ruthie were told to come to the hospital in their own cars. Lucy took Ella, who was still not sure what was going on, only knowing something was wrong with her mother. She pushed Maggie in her stroller while Ella walked along side to Ruthie's car. They dropped the kids off with Kevin quickly, and hurried to the hospital. When they got there, they sat nervously in the waiting room. Matt soon hurried out to greet them.  
  
"Hey guys. Thank you so much for helping Sarah. I was busy so you couldn't get through to me."  
  
"No problem. How is she?" Lucy asked.  
  
"She's OK. She's in a lot of pain though. The doctor says she'll be delivering within the hour though. She was pretty far along when she got here." He informed them with a weak smile.  
  
"Yeah. We'll be here. Come tell us any news!" Ruthie said. Matt nodded and disappeared down the hall.  
  
A/N: Now you all can breathe. She's there on time. But will everything go normally from here? Look for chapter ten soon! 


	10. Chapter Ten

A/N: Sorry this took ffoorreevveerr to update! I hope that you like this chapter. Please review!!  
  
Lucy and Ruthie sat nervously in the waiting room of the hospital. They started at the blank white walls while they wondered about what was happened on the other side of the doors Matt went through almost 45 minutes ago. He had only been back once to tell them that it was still going to be an hour or so. That seemed like so long ago now. Finally, the doors opened and Matt came out with a huge smile on his face.  
  
"Guys! Come on, come with me. She was born! Come on, hurry!" He cried. The women laughed at their older brother. He was as excited as a little kid in a candy store. With smiles on their faces, they followed Matt down the hall and into a small room. There, laying in a small white bed, was Sarah, holding a tiny baby in her arms. She had a wide smile across her face as she stared down at the bundle.  
  
"Everyone, I'd like you to meet Miss Kathryn Layne Camden." Matt said, leading them over to Sarah.  
  
"Kate." Sarah said with a laugh. She turned to Ruthie and Lucy. "Thank you so much." She said. "I don't know what would have happened with out you. Both of you." She said. Matt took the baby and the Sarah hugged each of her sisters in law carefully.  
  
"How did it all go?" Lucy asked.  
  
"Pretty well. Very well, actually. Everything was normal. No C- Section this time!" She said excitedly, rubbing her stomach. "See, no cut!" Lucy smiled at Sarah.  
  
"That's awesome!" Lucy said. Ruthie stepped back and admired what was going on between Lucy and Sarah. They had a bond. All mothers did. And Ruthie felt like she was on the outside. She took her hand and put it on her very flat stomach. Without realizing it, a tear slid down her cheeks. Then another.  
  
"What's wrong?" Sarah asked, helplessly stranded in her hospital bed. Lucy saw her sister crying and immediately threw her arms around her.  
  
"What's going on, Ruthie?" She asked.  
  
"I don't know." She said. "It's just, Sarah, you have two beautiful daughters, and Lucy you have a wonderful little girl. And here I am. On the outside. I can only watch you guys with your kids. Sarah, I want to be where you are." She said. Sarah laughed.  
  
"Stuck in a hospital room, in a tiny bed, absolutely exhausted?" She asked.  
  
"No. Having just had a baby. John and I are trying. Sarah already knew that, but-." She was interrupted by a tight squeeze from her older sister.  
  
"Ruthie, that's so cool! I'm so happy for you!" She cried.  
  
"Well yeah, it WOULD be great if it was happening. Three months so far, and not a single clue. It's just not happening."  
  
"You never know. When's the last time you took a test?" Sarah asked with hope in her voice.  
  
"This afternoon." Ruthie said flatly.  
  
"Oh." Lucy and Sarah said together. Lucy hugged her little sister again.  
  
"Some day." Ruthie said quietly. They were interrupted by Matt walking in the room with baby Kate in his arms.  
  
"Where have you been?" Sarah asked.  
  
"Showing off my new baby girl to my co workers." He said with a proud smile. He kissed his wife and handed her their daughter. Her eyes filled with tears as she looked down at Kate. She ran her fingers through her tiny tuft of hair. With a small smile, she tenderly kissed her baby on her forehead.  
  
"Congratulations." Ruthie said, putting her arm around Sarah and Matt. Lucy came over and hugged them too.  
  
"I have to get going, guys. I don't want to leave Kev alone with Maggie and Ella for too long!" She said.  
  
"OK." Sarah said. Lucy kissed Sarah on top of the head.  
  
"Thanks for letting Ella stay the night." Sarah said.  
  
"Don't mention it. You just had a baby! Give me a call tomorrow." Lucy said.  
  
"Will do." Lucy hugged Ruthie and Matt, kissed her new niece on the head, and walked out the door.  
  
Ruthie backed up, trying to become invisible. She watched as Matt sat on the edge of the bed with Sarah. He had his arm around her. Sarah held little Kate in her arms and they both started down at her, engrossed in her beauty. Matt looked at his wife.  
  
"I love you." He said.  
  
"I love you too." She said. They kissed briefly and looked back down at Kate who was drifting off to sleep. Matt took her into his arms and held her tiny body. He smiled as her little eyes slowly closed. The parents stared at their baby's peaceful look. With tears streaming down her face, Ruthie quietly disappeared out the door, unnoticed. She had to go have some time to herself. 


	11. Chapter Eleven

A/N: OK. . . I have to start by telling you all THANK YOU!!! Your reviews for my last chapter were so appreciated. Until you write, you never know how much the reviews really do encourage the author. Thank you!! I hope that you like this chapter too. Please keep reviewing. Just a side note, I know that some of you feel like you should only send one review the entire time you read the story or the author will get tired of you. . .SO untrue. I LOVE getting reviews from the same people every chapter. It helps me see what they're thinking all the way through!!  
  
Lucy Kinkirk awoke early the next morning. She reached over for Kevin, but to her surprise, she felt only the sheets. She slowly opened her eyes and looked at the clock. 6:00 AM. Lucy sat up and got out of bed. She threw a robe on over her pajamas and went into the kitchen for a cup of coffee. She smiled when she got there. Kevin was sitting at the table reading the paper, sipping some coffee. Next to him was another cup. He turned around and smiled at Lucy.  
  
"I knew you'd be waking up and that you'd want coffee. Here ya go." He said, handing her the mug. She smiled.  
  
"Thank you!" She said, taken aback by how thoughtful he was. She sat down in the seat next to him and took the comics out of the paper stack. She was too tired to concentrate on something serious. Kevin laughed and kissed Lucy on the cheek.  
  
"See, this is why I love you." He said, eyeing the comic page. Lucy smiled and held up her coffee cup.  
  
"And THIS is why I love you!" She said jokingly.  
  
"Oh, THANK YOU." He said sarcastically.  
  
"Aunt Lucy?" Asked a small, quiet voice, inturrupting the couple. Lucy turned to see Ella standing in the entrance of the hallway, clutching her blanket in one hand and rubbing her eyes with the other.  
  
"Good morning, sweet heart." Lucy said and went over to pick the girl up. She carried her back to the table and sat her on her lap.  
  
"Is my sister here yet?" She asked, looking around.  
  
"Yes. She was born last night." The girl immediately perked up.  
  
"Where is she?" She asked excitedly.  
  
"At the hospital with your mommy."  
  
"Why is she at the hospickle? Is she sick?" She asked, sounding alarmed.  
  
"No, she's perfectly fine. All babies and their mommy's stay at the hospital for one day after the baby is born." Lucy told her.  
  
"Oh." Ella said, dissapointed. "When can I meet her?"  
  
"Soon." She said. "Your mommy's gonna call us a little later and let us know when she'll be coming home."  
  
"Will daddy and baby come home with her?" She asked.  
  
"Yes." Lucy answered.  
  
"OK." Ella said quietly. She leaned her head against Lucy's shoulder and shut her eyes. Minutes later, she fell asleep. Lucy carefully got up and carried her back into the room she was sharing with Maggie. She came back out and sat down next to Kevin again.  
  
"She's so cute." Lucy said with a smile. She took a sip of her coffee.  
  
"Yeah." Kevin agreed. "I wonder when Sarah'll be calling."  
  
"In a couple of hours. She'll be up early." Lucy said with a laugh. Kevin nodded.  
  
"Yes. Very early." He looked up at the clock to see that it was already 7:30. Maggie began to cry from her room.  
  
"Just like clock work." Kevin said. Lucy got up and walked into Maggie's room. She was standing in her crib with her arms streached at the door. Ella was sitting on her matress on the ground, covering her ears. She frowned at her cousin. Lucy picked up the one year old and rocked her back and forth in her arms.  
  
"Shh shh shh." She said soothingly. Ella looked up at her aunt.  
  
"I don't like it when babies cry. My sister won't ever cry. She's a good baby." She said matter-of-factly.  
  
"All babies cry." Lucy told her.  
  
"Nah uh!" Ella said defensively.  
  
"Yes, sweet heart, they do." She said.  
  
"Are you sure?" She asked. Lucy nodded.  
  
"Darn!" Ella cried and crossed her arms. Lucy smiled and tussled her hair. Just then the phone rang. Moments later, she heard Kevin shouting.  
  
"Luce, it's Sarah on the phone."  
  
REVIEW!! ( 


	12. Chapter Twelve

A/N: Thanks everyone for your reviews. I appreciate them so much! Hope you like this chapter too.  
  
Ruthie Parke smiled down at her tiny niece who was in her arms. She laughed when Kate wrapped her hand around her pinkie.  
  
"Sarah, she's beautiful." She said, looking up at her sister in law. They sat in Sarah and Matt's living room.  
  
"Thank you." Sarah said. "She looks like Ella when she was a baby. As of yesterday, Kate's two weeks old!"  
  
"How exciting!" Ruthie said. Kate began to cry and she stretched her arms out towards her mother. Sarah turned and looked at the clock.  
  
"Lunch time already." She said. Ruthie handed the baby to her mother.  
  
"I'll be right back." She said.  
  
"Take your time. I'll hang out with my friend Ella." Ruthie said, smiling at the three-year-old who was seated by her feet. When she heard what her aunt said, she immediately leaped up to sit next to her. Sarah carried the baby down the hall to her room where they disappeared. Ella turned to her aunt.  
  
"Isn't my sister cool?" She asked excitedly.  
  
"She's very cool." Ruthie answered.  
  
"Sometimes she cries, but wanna know what I do when she does?" Ella asked.  
  
"I'd love to know." Ella smiled and put her hands over her ears. She began to hum very loudly.  
  
"That." She said proudly, taking her hands down.  
  
"Good idea." Ruthie told her with a smile. "When my little brothers were born, your Uncle Sam and Uncle David, I would always bury my head under my pillow." She told her little niece.  
  
"I tried that, but I could still hear it." She said with a shrug of her shoulders.  
  
"Oh. I guess your way works better, huh?"  
  
"Much better." Ella said confidently. The little girl looked over at her aunt thoughtfully. She scooted over close to her and leaned towards her middle. She studied it for a long time, and looked back up to her face.  
  
"Aunt Ruthie?" She asked.  
  
"Yes?" Ruthie answered.  
  
"You need to hurry up and have a baby." She said. Ruthie froze. "You already missed your turn. It goes mommy, Aunt Lucy, then you. You missed and moms got 2 now. Aunt Lucy has one, and you have none!" She leaned over to her Aunt's stomach again. "Anybody in there?" She asked. Sarah came out and saw what Ella was doing.  
  
"Ella!" She shouted. She sat up and looked at her mother.  
  
"Go play in your room please." She said. Ella nodded and got up. She skipped down the hall. Sarah rushed over and sat down next to Ruthie. A tear slid down Ruthie's cheek as she stared at the floor.  
  
"She's right." She said quietly.  
  
"You're perfectly on time. Don't worry." Sarah said, trying to sound reassuring. Ruthie shook her head.  
  
"I have to go." She said, standing up quickly and heading for the door.  
  
"Ruthie!" Sarah called.  
  
"I'll see you later, Sarah." She said. "Have fun with Ella and Kate." Before Sarah could say another word, Ruthie walked out the door.  
  
"Ella! Get out here!" She shouted.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ruthie walked down the isles of the supermarket that was down the street from her home. She stopped in front of the home pregnancy tests. She leaned over and grabbed four. Silently, she walked to the check out counter and paid for them.  
  
When she got home, she put them all in her bathroom cabinet. She shut the cabinet and studied herself in the mirror. She turned to the side and pulled her shirt tight against her skin, looking for some kind of bump, a bulge, anything. But there was nothing. Her stomach was as flat as a pancake. Ruthie smiled sadly at the girl in the mirror and walked out of the bathroom.  
  
A/N: Hey just FYI, it's great when you review and put your e-mail address in ( )'s in the name box along with your pen name or whatever. You don't have to put in there, don't feel pressured, but I do try to write back to everyone who lets me know the e-mail address to reach them at! : - ) 


	13. Chapter Thirteen

A/N: Thank you thank you thank you! I so appreciate your great reviews. I love to write. It's just what I do. So your encouragement means so much to me. Thank you!  
  
A/N2: Guys I just realized that I forgot to have a chapter for Mary and Robbie's wedding. This chapter will follow their new lives together. Sorry! They are on their honeymoon in Maui.  
  
Formally Mary Camden, Mary Palmer giggled. Her husband looked at her and smiled.  
  
"Since when do you giggle." He asked with a soft laugh.  
  
"Since just now apparently!" She said, surprised at herself. She turned and peered out the hotel window and the beautiful beach below.  
  
"Let's go outside. We can go in the ocean!" She said with an excited smile. Robbie nodded his head.  
  
"Yay!" Mary cried. She ran into the bathroom. Minutes later, she emerged in her hot pink bikini. She tied a sarong around her waist. Robbie's jaw dropped as she came over to him  
  
"Wow." He said. Mary blushed.  
  
"Hurry up and get your suit on." She said. Robbie nodded his head and went into the bathroom. He came out soon after in his swim trunks. Each of the people grabbed a towel and they walked down to the beach. They layed their towels down. They sat down. Mary smiled as she felt the soft, warm sand of Maui between her toes.  
  
"This is so. . ." She searched for the right word.  
  
"Amazing?" Robbie filled in.  
  
"Yes. Amazing." She said. They kissed and Mary stood up.  
  
"Come on!" She said, grabbing her new husband's hand. She pulled him down the beach to the water. She laughed loudly when she felt the cold water sweep over her feet and chill he ankles. Robbie smiled at his wife as she leapt up and down like a little kid. They walked out further in the ocean until they were in the water to their waists. Mary lowered herself down in the water so that she was floating on her back. She squinted up at her husband.  
  
"What are you doing?" He asked.  
  
"I don't really know!" She answered playfully. Robbie reached down to tickle her.  
  
"No! No!" Mary screamed as she kicked and splashed to try to get away. When his hand was an inch from her bare stomach, she grabbed his wrist and pulled him down. He too layed on his back. The couple floated together for a few minutes, enjoying the Maui ocean and each other's company.  
  
Suddenly, Mary screamed and began to kick madly trying to get up. She was unsuccessful and slipped under water for a minute. She gasped when she came back out and leapt up.  
  
"What? What's wrong?" Robbie cried.  
  
"Something's got my. . ." Mary paused. "Foot." She said, losing her momentum and pulling the piece of slimy seaweed off of her toes.  
  
"Oh, Mary! Are you OK? The seaweed got you! Get the hospital on the phone!" Robbie cried jokingly. Mary mock-glared at him and pushed hard on his chest, dunking him underwater.  
  
"Hey!" He cried. He yanked her down into the water again. They both laughed as they floated over the rolling waves. Robbie looked up and immediately grabbed Mary's wrist.  
  
"Look how far out we are!" He cried. Mary tried to put her feet on the ground and slipped under water. There was nothing beneath her any longer. She came back up and turned towards the beach.  
  
"Oh my gosh!" She cried. They were much farther out that anyone else. They began to swim, both laughing hysterically all the way. When they got back to the beach, they walked back to their towels to dry off.  
  
"Wanna get some lunch?" Robbie asked.  
  
"Sounds great." Mary said. They ran up to the hotel room to get dressed, then walked hand in hand to the hotel's restaurant.  
  
A/N: Please review! I hope you liked this! 


	14. Chapter 14: The End!

A/N: Hello and welcome to the *FINAL* chapter of Changing Every Day! I really hope that you enjoy this. I want to commend all of you before I start though for all these reviews. Right now, I have 82! WOW! Thank you so much for your awesome support. Anyway, here's the chapter. It's going to kind of wrap up each story line in a paragraph or so. Enjoy! REVIEW!!  
  
A month passed quickly.  
  
Matt smiled as he walked out into the living room of the home of he and his family. Sarah sat on the sofa cradling Kate in her arms. Ella was curled up next to her mother and sister, resting her head on Sarah's shoulders. All three girls were sound asleep. Matt stepped closer and admired them. They all looked so peaceful. Quietly, he walked into the kitchen and grabbed his digital camera out of the electronics cabinet. He tiptoed back into the living room and knelt down in front of the sofa. *CLICK!* He snapped a picture. He turned around and sat down on the floor, looking at the photo he just took. On the screen, he saw the three wonderful women of his life. Happily, he sat down on the other side of Sarah and put his arm around her. She stirred, layed her head on his shoulder, and fell back asleep. He leaned his head on her head and shut his eyes. Moments later, he fell fast asleep.  
  
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Mary laughed as she watched Robbie shoot pool at the pool hall. He sunk two balls into the pockets. With a pretend cocky smile, he handed the stick to his wife. She went to shoot. When she did, she missed every pocket. Before Robbie could take the stick back, she ran over and hit one of the balls in.  
  
"Ha!" She shouted triumphantly. Robbie came over and playfully tackled her. She screamed as he tickled her. He finally stopped and they kissed. Mary smiled.  
  
"I love being married." She said happily, and they continued playing pool.  
  
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Lucy watched happily as Maggie played with her brand new cloth baby doll. The little girl leaned back and forth as if dancing to a song playing in her head that only she could hear. She cradled the doll in her arms. Carefully, she kissed in on its soft forehead. She shoved the baby's foot into her mouth and crawled over to Lucy with it dragging on the ground. When she reached her mother, she smiled widely and held the toy up.  
  
"Bbb-." She struggled. "Bbaabbyy. Baby." She said. Lucy's jaw dropped.  
  
"Kevin! Kevin come here quick!" She yelled. Kevin ran into the room.  
  
"What?" He asked frantically, thinking something horrible was happening. Lucy smiled.  
  
"Maggie just said her first word."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
* DING! * sounded the timer on Ruthie Parke's nightstand. She flinched with surprise. Had it already been 10 minutes? She slowly got up and meandered into the bathroom. Stalling, she picked up the magazine off the floor and put it on the magazine rack and hung a towel up. Finally, she turned and picked up the object on the sink. And there, on the little strip, were two pink lines.  
  
~*~*The End!*~*~  
  
A/N: I really really hope that you enjoyed this. I know that I've sure enjoyed writing it. Please review this with final thoughts. I know you're probably happy that Ruthie's finally pregnant! To answer the question I know you all are asking, YES, I will be writing another story, NO it won't be a sequel to this. If you would like to be personally informed by me when the first chapter of my next story is up, please let me know at the end of your review and include your e-mail address. I'll send out a letter to everyone who asks for this notification the minute the first chapter is up. And mmaayybbee. . . (Hint hint hint!) I might just send out the first chapter to that group of people before it's available on this website! Thanks for reading this story. I appreciate your support so much. Don't forget to review! Thanks, and good bye for now. 


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